Israeli forces are maintaining their lockdown on Hebron for the 10th consecutive day, threatening to expand their military offensive and forcing additional Palestinian families to flee their homes.
Impact of the Siege on Hebron
The strict lockdown in the occupied West Bank city was imposed following an October 23 attack near Hebron that resulted in the deaths of two Israeli soldiers.
According to the local municipality, more than 3,300 Palestinians have been displaced or affected by the measures, with numerous homes destroyed and commercial establishments shuttered.
Speaking to Al Jazeera on Saturday, Mayor Yousef al-Jabari stated that daily economic losses are estimated to surpass 12 million shekels ($3.8 million). He noted that infrastructure damage has exceeded $1.9 million, while losses in the health and environmental sectors are estimated at approximately $160,000.
Al-Jabari reported that Israeli forces have demolished 15 homes and other structures while compelling 327 businesses to shut down. Additionally, approximately 80,000 students have been unable to attend classes throughout the 10-day period.
The mayor characterized the measures as “collective punishment,” pointing out that Hebron accounts for roughly 40 percent of the Palestinian economy. Meanwhile, Palestinian families residing in and around the city remain concerned that the military could soon broaden its assaults.
Raids and Settler Attacks Across the West Bank
Israeli arrests targeting Palestinians in Hebron and other parts of the occupied West Bank persisted on Sunday. The Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that Israeli forces detained 10 Palestinian teachers in Masafer Yatta, located south of Hebron, and confiscated their vehicle.
Furthermore, footage circulated by Palestinian media and verified by Al Jazeera captured the Israeli military conducting a raid on a United Nations-run school situated in the Shufat refugee camp within occupied East Jerusalem.
The United Nations humanitarian office, OCHA, reported that Israeli settlers carried out 397 attacks against Palestinians across the occupied West Bank during October, marking the highest monthly total since data collection began in 2006, according to Wafa.
Between October 20 and 26, these settler assaults impacted 49 Palestinian communities, predominantly while residents were engaged in harvesting olives on their agricultural lands. Among the 57 Palestinians injured by settlers and Israeli forces were nine children, with 34 injuries resulting from military gunfire and physical assaults, and 23 stemming from settler attacks.
Data from the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission indicates that since the beginning of 2015, Israeli authorities have issued 9,518 demolition or stop-work notices against Palestinian properties throughout the occupied West Bank. The official Palestinian government commission noted that 344 of those notices were issued during the first nine months of this year.
